Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has criticised the Centre for targeting citizens protesting against rising air pollution at Delhi's India Gate on Sunday, asserting that the "right to clean air" is a fundamental human right and that peaceful demonstrators should not be treated as criminals. In a post on X on Sunday, Gandhi, accusing the BJP of "vote chori" and apathy toward the worsening pollution crisis, urged immediate and decisive action to safeguard the health and future of millions of Indians. "The right to clean air is a basic human right. The right to peaceful protest is guaranteed by our Constitution. Why are citizens who have been peacefully demanding clean air being treated like criminals? Air pollution is affecting crores of Indians, harming our children and the future of our nation," he said.
"But the government which came to power through vote chori simply doesn't care, nor is it even attempting to solve this crisis. We need to take decisive action on air pollution right now instead of attacking citizens asking for clean air," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.
Earlier on Sunday, Delhi Police detained people protesting at India Gate, demanding that the government formulate policies to curb air pollution in the National Capital region.
New Delhi district DCP Devesh Kumar Mahla said, "India Gate is not a protest site. The designated protest site in New Delhi is Jantar Mantar, as per the Supreme Court's directions. That is why we have advised everyone to follow the guidelines. At India Gate, people come along with their families to enjoy, and it is a national monument. There are VIP routes here; we are deployed here regularly."
AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar alleged that the ruling BJP government got water sprinkled on AQI monitors to lower the readings. Kakkar demanded that the government formulate policies to curb air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region as she joined the protests at India Gate.
Speaking to ANI, Priyanka Kakkar said, "The BJP got water to be sprinkled on AQI monitors to lower the readings. The BJP is manipulating the data. This lowers the BJP's integrity and credibility. Even the BJP people should be here with us, but they are sitting at home with their air purifiers. The BJP needs to understand that the air and water are not a matter of politics."
The air quality in the national capital plunged into the 'severe' category on Sunday, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 391 at 7 am, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Several parts of the city registered alarming pollution levels with AQI readings crossing the 400-mark. (ANI)
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